Being generous with tips is essential: anyone who has worked in food service, housekeeping, driving, or bartending in the U.S. knows tips are a crucial part of a service worker\u2019s income. Some estimates show that about 15% of servers live in poverty, compared to around 7% of the general workforce, making tips vital for those in the industry.\n

Under federal law, employers can pay tipped workers as little as $2.13 an hour, expecting that tips will bring them up to at least minimum wage. Tips make up such a significant portion of a server\u2019s income that, according to FiveThirtyEight, a server in Washington, D.C., needs to serve six customers per hour just to reach minimum wage, assuming each customer tips at least 15%.\n

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Still, if you\u2019re trying to watch your own budget, it can be tricky to find the balance between over-tipping and under-tipping. While tipping has traditionally been viewed as an \u201coptional\u201d reward for good service, many people disagree, and there\u2019s no set standard on how much to tip \u2014 or if you should tip at all.\n

Those who\u2019ve worked in the service industry know the expectations: \u201cCustomers expect good service,\u201d says Matt Schulz of CreditCards.com. \u201cSmile, be attentive, be professional, be proactive. If you do your job well, most Americans will be generous when it is time to leave the tip.\u201d\n

Still, what constitutes good service can be subjective. As the Bitchy Waiter puts it, \u201cNo, you don\u2019t have to tip. It is not required by law to leave your server any money. However, in this country, when you go out to eat in a restaurant where someone is serving you, there is a social contract and obligation that implies you will be providing some sort of financial compensation\u2026 If you don\u2019t want to tip, then you can be counted among the small group of people who choose to be assholes.\u201d\n

So, how should you determine your tipping amount? Here\u2019s a guide to tipping in every common situation \u2014 without overspending.\n